I got a good deal on a Spectrum GE - 8 40C today at one of my favorite LHS’s . There were no instructions for wiring in a DCC decoder so my question is: What type of decoder does it take and where do the orange and gray wires solder to the motor? It looks like the entire motor housing is a split case but i’m not sure if the motor is grounded to the frame or not and i don’t want to take it down to the frame if i don’t have to. I could sure use the help from someone with experience with this particular locomotive. I’m a greenhorn when it comes to DCC and need all the help I can get.
If the motor is sandwiched between two split frame halves, you must perform a total disassembly to get to the motor. There are bronze wipers connected to the motor brushes that press against the frame halves for electrical pickup, and there are insulating spacers between frame halves at each of the screws that hold them together.
As you reassemble the frame after soldering the decoder’s orange and gray wires to the motor brush wipers, you must insure that there is no electrical contact between the bronze wipers and the frame or your decoder will go up in smoke.
Any decoder with a 1 Amp motor drive and at least one function output can be used.
If it is not DCC ready, the following instructions are applicable:
http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/dcc/tmaster.html
If you want to control more lights use a DH163D, or any other similar decoder.
Bachmann has had at least 3 different versions of the 8-40C in the Spectrum line, the first two (or three?) were not DCC ready, there is one (or two?) DCC ready, and there is (or soon will be based on other offerings) ad DCC equipped version.